


Fish Out of Water

by WaywardTuesdays



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Edward Elric Swears, Gen, Good Friend Roy Harper, Parental Maes Hughes, Parental Roy Mustang, basically kaldur's black and white view on good and bad being shattered, cause amestris is not a very kind place, destroying kaldur's poor innocence, guilty team, no beta we die like hughes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29363895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaywardTuesdays/pseuds/WaywardTuesdays
Summary: After the League is called away to assess an emergency mission, the Team is tasked with retrieving an odd, glowing rock believed to be responsible for strange events. However, with their trust in their leader still in shambles, the mission does not go as planned. Sucked into a world he doesn't understand, Kaldur struggles to survive in situations far above his pay grade.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> The prologue and first three (?) chapters were written back in 2018, so I'm revising as I go. The chapters get longer, I swear!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after the Team realizing that Kaldur knew about the mole and failed to tell them. So, before the YJ Episode 13 "Alpha Male."

"Team, report to the mission room. I have your next assignment."

The tranquil feeling surrounding him broken, Kaldur closed his book. Looking around his small, usually unused room in the Cave, he lingered a bit on his bed before standing. Typically, he would sit and read in the living room with the Team, but as of late, his presence had been less than welcome by his friends. Because of this, he sought solace in his room where he could be away from all the hushed insults and glaring eyes. He knew it was cowardly, but he could not bring himself to face their scrutiny and untrusting gazes: not when Kaldur knew it was his fault.

Sighing, he walked towards the door and looked back at the window, which showed an amazing view of the open ocean. When the Cave was first refurbished, Wally and Robin had immediately dragged him to this room, stating that "no one else but Kaldur could have this room." Kaldur frowned at the memory, a pang of sorrow piercing his chest.

' _Still, I am their leader. And that must take_ _priority.'_ Kaldur shook his head gently to clear his thoughts before stepping out the awaiting open door and with heavy feet walked towards the mission room.

Entering the mission room, Aqualad kept his head high and trained on the mission board. Walking to his spot, he did not fail to notice the scrutinizing glares sent his way.

"Your mission is to search and recover the rock you see on screen. It appeared approximately two days ago and seems to pulsate with energy. The League originally was sent out to retrieve it from the tundra, where it first appeared, however the team we sent was ambushed and the rock was stolen. Luckily, we have managed to figure out its location. A security base in a forest to the West of the Cave. Keep in mind there is a tunnel underwater you can use as an entryway. Your mission is only to search and recover the rock. Do not engage enemy forces."

Aqualad looked over the stone.It was encased in a blue-white glow. There were two pictures of the strange rock presented. One showcased a large crater surrounding the oddity, while the second was significantly zoomed in. Although, the resolution was quite blurry, Kaldur could swear he saw strange engravings on the surface of the stone.

Looking back at Batman, Aqualad gave him a small, affirmative nod.

"Team, you are dismissed. Aqualad, meet with me briefly."

Wally, who was standing next to him, let out a rude snort and forcefully bumped his shoulder against Kaldur's as he passed.

Aqualad sighed through his nose, but focused his attention on Batman.

"You wish to speak with me?"

"Yes. The League is currently handling an emergency mission. We require all hands on board. I need to know if you'll be able to handle your team on this mission and act as their leader, or if I should contact one of our outside members to come supervise."

Aqualad internally winced, but otherwise remained impassive. Ah, so it was not just scrutiny from his team that he had to face. Figures. "Trust in me, Batman. I will not let my feelings, nor those of my team, conflict with my ability to lead. You have my word."

Batman narrowed his eyes and, for a few painfully long seconds, said nothing. Finally, Batman responded with, "You are dismissed."

Bowing his head slightly in respect, Aqualad hurried to board the bioship, its doors closing immediately after his entering.

* * *

The ride to the forest was, needless to say, tense. Aqualad shifted uncomfortably from his position in the corner. He was trying to avoid the angry glares (and growls) from Superboy, who was directly across from him. Poor M'gann had tried to make conversation, but soon stopped, realizing no one was really responding.

Kaldur closed his eyes and heavily leaned against the wall. If only he had the power to disappear, he would. All Aqualad could do was hope the ride would end soon.

Thankfully, it seemed that a deity somewhere had heard his prayer.

Roughly ten minutes passed before Miss Martian stopped the bioship over a body of water, the subtle jostle of the ship stopping snapping Kaldur out of his thoughts.

"Drop Zone A ready to deploy."

Opening his eyes, Kaldur slipped his 'leader mask' on. Activating stealth mode, he took a moment to survey his team. Artemis and Robin didn't bother looking back at him, both of their faces a hardened mask. Wally was glancing at him from the corner of his eye. The only two who were directly looking at him were Superboy and Miss Martian, unsurprisingly, with anger and pity respectively.

Staring straight ahead, Aqualad pushed all his feelings down, sounding off a deep, stern "Ready."

And with that, he plummeted to the ocean below.


	2. Breathless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the team progresses through their mission, Kaldur makes an unsettling discovery under the base.

Landing in the cool water almost felt therapeutic to his gills. Kaldur hadn't been able to spend as much time in water lately, as he would have liked. But, now wasn't really the time to lay back and relax.

Glancing around the dark water, he noticed the tunnel to the far left side of the forest's edge.

 _'Tunnel spotted, heading there no_ _w',_ Kaldur said over the mental link.

No one responded, leaving Kaldur feeling uneasy, but he knew it was just part of the silent treatment his team was giving him. They wouldn't really cut him out, right?

* * *

M'gann felt awful.

After Kaldur left the bioship, Superboy had abruptly spoken.

"Cut him out."

M'gann blinked, confused. "What?"

Connor turned angry eyes onto her. "Cut him out of the mental link."

Miss Martian's eyes widened. "Superboy, no! That's dangerous! What if something happens to him! He's still our friend!"

"Nothing's going to happen to him. He's our fearless leader, remember?" Kid Flash mocked. "And, last time I checked, friends don't hide secrets from each other."

M'gann looked away, horrified. She could understand their anger, but this wasn't right.

"Just for a few minutes, Miss M. It'll help. Not hearing him for a while," Robin interjected. M'gann was about ready to disagree again, but she had noticed the soft tone in his voice.

Reluctantly, she agreed. "Fine, only for a few minutes."

Throughout this exchange, Artemis remained silent, opting to stare out the window with an unreadable expression.

* * *

Kaldur was worried. He hadn't heard back from the team for a while now. And now that he thought about it, he couldn't feel their presence like he normally would.

Distracted and troubled, he failed to notice the large spike sticking out from the side of the metal tunnel. And how fast he was swimming. That is, until his left arm came into contact with the obtrusion.

Grunting in pain, Kaldur curled into his stomach, grasping his injured arm protectively. The cut was deep and long, and from it, a cloud of blood erupted, leaking into Kaldur's clenched mouth.

Spitting the blood out, the best that he could considering that he was underwater, Kaldur uncurled and looked towards the tunnel. He hadn't noticed before, due to being distracted, but the inside of the tunnel was horribly warped; the metal seemed to fold into itself at times and more spikes littered the surface.

 _'How was this not discussed during the briefing?'_ Aqualad remained in place before slowly continuing, still grasping his slashed arm. His senses were on high alert. For some odd reason, the more he ventured into the tunnel, the more anxious he got.

Luckily, he didn't need to go too far before he reached the end. The tunnel led to a large collection of water inside the base.

 _'That is... weird.'_ Kaldur blinked, a little puzzled. Why would they have a tunnel with such easy access to their base? Come to think of it, he hadn't heard any sounds from above since he arrived.

Extremely cautious, and more than a little perturbed, Kaldur swam up to the top. Popping his head a tiny fraction above the water allowed him to see over the ledge.

 _'No guards..'_ Aqualad furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before stepping out of the water. Muffling a hiss of pain when his teared skin made contact with the cold concrete, Kaldur examined his surroundings.

It was a small, but tall space. Straining his eyes against the darkness, Kaldur could make out the door in front of him, hanging to the side and barely attached to the doorframe by its remaining hinge.

But that wasn't what unnerved him. No, it was the dried blood that poked out from the dark hallway that stretched out from the open doorway.

Kaldur felt a chill down his spine. Still, he had to carry out the mission.

And so, he walked through the hallway, pulling out his flashlight as he went. The first thing he noticed was the amount of blood that stained the flooring wasn't as much as he had anticipated; instead it had a very broken pattern. The second thing he discovered was the smell. It wasn't gross, but it wasn't pleasant. The smell had a very distinct... _stale_ scent. Crinkling his nose, he carried on until a familiar voice resounded throughout his head.

 _'Aqualad! Can you hear me?'_ Upon hearing Miss Martian's voice, Kaldur heaved a heavy sigh of relief before answering. _'Yes, I can hear you. What can you report?'_ He opted for the leader response, rather than ask why the link hadn't been established earlier: he had his own sinking suspicion as to why.

 _'Drop-Zone B was a success. We sent Artemis and Kid Flash to scout the premises; there are no enemies present, strangely. However, the only way into the base is guarded by a barrier we're struggling to break.'_ That certainly got his attention. This whole situation was incredibly confusing. Shaking away his doubts, he noticed no one else was answering.

_'Miss Martian, why can I not hear the others?'_

Kaldur could feel her hesitation. His stomach dropped.

_'They... requested not to be included while I contacted you. You don't have to worry though! We're in safe distance to each other and Robin activated our communication devices.'_

A part of Kaldur was sad that his friends would act in such a manner. He forced it down, letting the other side of him surface. His 'leader' side, that was angry and disappointed in his team members for endangering the mission.

 _'I expected better.'_ Kaldur thought coldly, aware that M'gann could hear.

_'Our mission is priority. To let our emotions get in the way is not only unprofessional, but can prove counter productive as well. I am aware the Team may not think highly of me at the current moment, but I am still their leader and as such my task is to ensure the mission's success.'_

Anger coursing off of him, Aqualad continued in stride throughout the hallway, noticing the end was not far away.

_'Connect them, Miss Martian. That is an **order.** '_

_'...okay. Connecting them now.'_

_'...'_

_'_ _What the hell, M'gann?!'_

Superboy's angry voice shouted in his mind. Kaldur was fairly surprised he responded so soon, but decided that was not the right thing to focus on right now. Neither was his anger.

Taking a deep breath and pausing momentarily in his stride, he prepared himself to address the team.

He never got to.

* * *

_'Aqualad? Aqualad, respond!'_

_'Miss M, what's going on?'_

She didn't know. Aqualad had been severed from her mental link by an unknown force. It felt as if a hand was applying pressure to her head. She had noticed it when she had first contacted him, but paid it no heed.

Barely remembering that Robin had asked her, she responded. _'I don't know. He's just...gone.'_

Although, she could still feel rage coming off of her teammates, Miss Martian also registered something else from them: concern.

 _'What do you mean he's gone?'_ Artemis questioned.

_'I can't hear or feel him anymore! Something severed our connection!'_

_'And this barrier isn't letting up either.'_ Wally practically growled.

 _'So, what do we do?'_ Superboy was still angry but his voiced was laced with concern.

 _'Our best bet is that tunnel underwater Aqualad entered through.'_ Robin theorized.

_'Hate to break it to you Boy Wonder but we don't have gills.'_

_'Come on KF, you're not old enough to have dementia.'_ Robin smirked, holding his rebreather in the air.

_'Me and Miss M will go under and check out what's wrong. You guys stay here and try to see if there's something we missed that can get rid of this barrier.'_

Not waiting for a response, Robin turned to Miss Martian.

_'Let's go.'_

* * *

Kaldur looked at the room before him in horrified amazement. There was a large circle etched on the floor with strange and foreign symbols. Blood was splattered everywhere: but the heaviest amount was located in the center of the circle.

Aqualad's eyes meandered over the circle to his objective. The stone was right there, atop a concrete pedestal glowing softly in a blue-white glow. The engravings on the surface of the jagged rock were similar to the ones on the floor.

Swallowing thickly, Kaldur'ahm walked cautiously around the circle towards the rock. The anxiety he had felt in the tunnel intensified with every step he took. His eyes were transfixed on the stone.

All thoughts of reprimand gone, he only vaguely noticed his connection to his team was severed upon entering the strange room.

Kaldur stopped short of the pedestal. His unease felt as if it would drown him where he stood.

Slowly, his hand reached for the stone. Just before his fingertips touched the surface, a shudder attacked his body. Blinking, Aqualad regained his composure.

Shoving all feelings of hesitation to the side, he curled his fingers over the stone, just as everything was engulfed by a bright blue light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to post the first few chapters in tandem with the prologue. Feedback is greatly appreciated!!


	3. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Head of the Investigations Department can't catch a break. Meanwhile, the Team make an unsettling discovery of their own.

Maes Hughes was _tired;_ he'd spent the past two days investigating the case of the former state certified 'Freezing Alchemist.'

The man had so far managed to evade the military's every attempt to capture him and seemed to have gone back into hiding, which only made him a bigger target to catch in the eyes of the Fuhrer. Unfortunately, that translated to a bigger workload for the Investigations Department and an even bigger workload for its head.

Joy.

Cracking his neck, he stood up from his desk and looked out into the night sky. The only highlight from this week was that Roy-Boy was on route to Central and would arrive in a few days. Maes practically giggled in excitement at the prospect of meeting his best friend again- he had so many new pictures to show him!

Even though Hughes made sure to call every time Elicia did something amazing, which was everyday, it just didn't have the same effect as looking at the captured moment with your own eyes. Plus, Roy sometimes didn't answer. Maes couldn't fathom why.

Glancing over at the wall clock beside him, Hughes cursed slightly at the time. He had promised Gracia he would stop by the grocery store for some milk. He couldn't just go home empty-handed! He had a duty as a family man to uphold his promises!

Unfortunately, Lady Luck just did not seem to agree with him tonight. The store's closing time was in fifteen minutes.

The Lieutenant Colonel hurriedly closed the folder and packed it into his bag. Normally, he would leave it in the office, but something had caught his eye last minute.

Putting his military jacket on, he nearly sprinted down the hallway. Catching himself, Maes settled for a very fast walk. There weren't that many people still in Central Command this late, but he didn't want to disrupt the few that were here.

Making quick work of the hallway, he slammed open the doors leading to the outside, only barely catching the receptionist's "Goodnight, sir!"

"Goodnight!" Maes skipped down the steps and once he was at the bottom he broke out into a full out sprint.

Thankfully, the store wasn't too far.

He arrived just in time; the employees were about to close the doors. "I'm so sorry for my tardiness, work just made me lose track of time! I only need a gallon of milk, I swear." The two workers in front of him frowned, eyes narrowing the slightest bit towards his uniform.

A few minutes later saw Maes smiling in relief as he made his way down the sidewalk, gallon of milk in hand. His promise upheld, his mind had started to drift towards his lovely family so much that he almost neglected to notice the crumpled form in the alleyway he'd just passed.

Keyword being almost.

* * *

_'That's impossible...'_

Robin and Miss Martian stared at the entrance to the tunnel in frustration and something akin to desperation.

At least, what should have been the entrance to the tunnel.

The metal was horribly twisted into itself, blocking anyone from entering.

Robin scanned the surface of the closed off entryway, noticing something peculiar. Holding a hand out in front of M'gann, who had been alerting the rest of the Team about what they had discovered, he swam closer to the warped metal. Once he was less than a foot away, he reached out his hand and trailed it over the odd markings that littered the edges of the tunnel. 

Activating his holographic computer, he took a quick snapshot of the markings, making a mental note to research them later.

_'Superboy, I need you to come down and get this tunnel open. I'll meet you on land and give you my rebreather. Miss Martain, retrieve the bioship; I have a couple more rebreathers stocked inside. Artemis, KF remain on guard and come with Superboy.'_

_'On it.'_ Superboy immediately took off in the direction of the water, Kid Flash and Artemis not too far behind.

Robin looked back at the twisted contraption before swimming up towards the surface, worry slithering around in his mind.

* * *

Maes walked cautiously towards the crumpled form, senses on high alert. Putting the gallon of milk on the floor, about a foot away from his target, Hughes crouched, never letting his eyes stray.

 _'Male. Dark-Skinned. Late teens.'_ Maes' eyes trailed over the boy, taking special note of the odd eel like tattoos tracing his arms, as well as the long gash on his left limb, blood leaking lazily from the wound. Frowning, he looked up towards the boy's face, only to stop at his neck.

Three slits marked the boy's neck on both sides, flapping gently in the wind.

The first thought that came to his mind was that someone had slit this boy's throat, but that was quickly debunked by further observation. No blood was present around his neck and the skin didn't appear to be disrupted by them.

Unease settled in Hughes' stomach, as his mind came to a conclusion. _'Gills._ ' Could this boy be a chimera?

Maes Hughes was no alchemist, but he understood Alchemy at a basic level, and consequently, chimeras.

Scooting closer to the boy, Maes reached out a hand and felt for a pulse. It was certainly there, albeit a little weak. Hughes furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed webbing between the teen's fingers, further cementing his earlier speculation.

Leaning back, Maes let out a heavy sigh. If the boy really was a chimera, which he probably was, protocol states he immediately notify Central Command. But, Maes couldn't help but feel conflicted. He knew what Central did to chimeras, and seeing that the kid had a more humanoid appearance than other reported instances, Hughes didn't doubt that the military would conduct an _'extensive study'_ on him.

Letting out a low groan, Maes shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the boy. Grabbing him gently, the Lieutenant Colonel managed to get the kid's right arm over his shoulders, allowing for Maes to support his body weight.

Grunting a bit from the added weight, which was surprisingly quite a bit, Hughes awkwardly kneeled to grab the gallon of milk left on the cement. Readjusting himself, he continued onward to his home, opting to take more secluded routes in order to lessen the chance of people seeing a military officer hauling an unconscious teenaged boy and a gallon of milk.

* * *

Maes was breathing quite heavily once he finally reached his door. Although young and lean, the kid was hefty, probably due to the amount of muscle on his body.

Thankfully, there was no one at the front desk when he'd entered the complex, so he hurriedly snuck into the elevator, opting to take that versus the stairs, to get to the third floor.

Shifting his 'burden' slightly, and dropping the milk, he fished around his pocket for his key, and, after finding it, jabbed the small thing into the keyhole, unlocking it quickly.

Once inside his home, Maes shut the door gently and leaned against it, catching his breath.

"Maes?" Gracia sat on the couch in her nightgown, a book propped open in her hand and a mug of tea on the table beside her.

Maes looked up at her, letting a smile slip onto his face. Even now, he sometimes couldn't believe that this radiant beauty before him was his.

And then, he was reminded of his little companion and his smile quickly turned into a sheepish grin.

"Guess I should explain, huh? Help me lay him on the guest bed first, though." Gracia nodded, a worried expression on her face. She stood and walked over to the nearby guest room and opened the door. Taking a deep breath, Maes straightened and followed Gracia to the doorway.

Once inside, Hughes quickly approached the bed, slipping the boy gently onto the soft blankets. When he was sure the kid was properly situated, Maes swiftly reached into his pocket and grabbed a pair of handcuffs. Not wasting any time, he handcuffed the kid's right hand to the wooden bedframe. Kid or not, Maes wasn't about to let a possibly dangerous stranger free in his house and around his family.

Putting both of his hands on his hips, Maes let out a deep sigh and looked over at his wife. "I know you want an explanation," Maes began, "but the truth is I don't really have one. I found him unconscious and injured in an alleyway on my way home. His left arm has a pretty deep gash, from what I can tell." He paused to run a hand through his hair. "I don't know how to explain it, but I just have this feeling that I should try to figure more things out on my own before getting the military involved."

Closing the distance between him and Gracia, Maes wrapped his arms around her in a strong, yet gentle hug. "I'll protect you both, so don't worry too much." Gracia's face smoothed into a soft smile, as she reciprocated the hug. "I know and I trust you. But," Gracia looked up at him, her smile tugging into a tiny frown. "I just hope you know what you're doing, love. I don't want you getting hurt."

Maes tightened his embrace. "Get hurt? Pshh, have you met me?" Gracia giggled, leaning her head against her husband's chest. "Yes, that's why I said it." 

A few seconds passed before Gracia broke the hug. Giving a small kiss to her husband, she left the room.

Maes gazed after her and sighed as he closed the door gently. Hauling a small chair from the desk in the corner of the room, Maes sat nearby his guest, right hand positioned over his throwing knives.

It was going to be a long night.


	4. Headaches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maes studies his new guest a little more and Kaldur makes the startling realization that remembering can hurt.

Kaldur'ahm's entire being ached.

As Aquaman's protegee, Kaldur was accustomed to pain. But, he had never felt anything like this. His limbs felt like they were being pulled down with weights and his head felt like a fuzzy mess. Yet, even with his pain riddled mind, Kaldur managed to process two things. Firstly, he was lying on a soft surface - nothing like the stone cold concrete of the base. Secondly, he wasn't alone.

He briefly contemplated keeping the facade of being asleep, but never got the chance to decide.

"Had a nice nap?"

The voice was distinctly male and warm, despite the edge on it. It was also new, meaning he was likely not in the presence of his Team, or, even the Justice League.

Kaldur opened his eyes, ignoring the pain caused by the light in the room, and sat up. Doing so, he felt a yanking sensation on his left arm, prompting his gaze. From his left wrist dangled a metal chain that was attached to the bed frame under him. On his left arm, a bandage was wrapped tightly around it.

 _'Handcuffs.'_ Kaldur yanked again, experimentally, and was quite sure that, if he needed to, he could break the restraints. The metal seemed fairly standard and, as far as he could tell, there was no magic leaking from it either.

Kaldur heard shuffling to his right, taking his attention away from his handcuffed wrist. Looking over, revealed an adult, bespectacled man. He was wearing a long sleeved white button up paired with odd yet formal navy trousers, and what seemed to be combat boots. On a nearby chair lay a matching navy military coat. Kaldur took notice of the badges and the small golden stars on the shoulder pads; although he wasn't completely knowledgeable of human military ranks, he had a suspicion that the man standing before him was of high ranking position. Kaldur didn't fail to notice the defensive stance the man was in, nor how his hand didn't sway where it hovered above the holster around his waist.

The man shifted his weight, never letting his eyes stray from Kaldur, his stare cold and calculated. Contemplating his options for a bit, Kaldur'ahm knew that communication with this stranger was his best bet towards understanding his current situation. His headache didn't seem to be weakening since waking up and he felt strangely disoriented. Clearing his throat, which was quite dry to his displeasure, Kaldur'ahm uttered a croaky, "Hello."

The military man blinked before responding with "Hi." An agonizing moment of silence transpired between them as they inspected each other. Finally, the soldier broke his defensive stance taking a few steps closer to the bed; even so he never let his hand fall from its position. Green eyes looked down at Kaldur before the man spoke again.

"How are you? That was a pretty nasty gash you got on your arm. I'm no medic, but I managed it to get it bandaged and cleaned."

Kaldur glanced down at his left arm, before looking back up at the man.

"I feel fine. Thank you for your hospitality. Although, I do question why you would offer such care."

Black eyebrows raised ever so slightly. "You were hurt, so I helped you. There's not much else to it, kid. Still, it would be nice to know your name. So, what is it?"

* * *

Maes had to admit, he was fairly surprised. The kid was perceptive, no doubt. From the moment he regained consciousness, the boy had observed everything he saw with care, ranging from the handcuffs to even Maes himself.

Hughes' fingers twitched slightly as he awaited an answer from the teen. He had opted for a more friendly and casual interrogation method. Although young, the kid had muscle and he doubted that being hostile would really illicit responses anyway. At least, not the kind that he wanted.

Matching his gaze with the silver-blue eyed one of his 'guest', Maes was about to speak again when the kid beat him to it.

"Kaldur'ahm."

Maes' eyebrows raised higher. _'Odd name.'_ Curving his lips upwards slightly, Hughes swiftly introduced himself in kind.

"Maes Hughes."

Kaldur'ahm glanced at his coat that still resided on the chair, before looking up at him again. "You are a soldier."

Maes' fingers twitched again. "That I am." He let a few seconds pass, in which he contemplated whether or not to give his rank. Clearing his throat, Maes continued. "Lieutanent Colonel Maes Hughes of the Amestrian Military."

"Amestrian?" Kaldur'ahms eyebrows were furrowed in slight confusion. Maes blinked. "Yes? Amestrian as in the country of Amestris. The country we're in right now."

* * *

_'Amestris?'_

Kaldur was confused. Even with his limited knowledge of the surface world, he had never heard of a country called Amestris. Regardless, Kaldur was pretty sure yesterday he was in America.

Yesterday... Kaldur paused, a feeling of unease settling in him. What happened yesterday? 

Kaldur lifted a hand up to his head, momentarily forgetting about the other occupant in the room. His mind felt like someone had shoved cotton balls into it and the harder he tried to remember, the more difficult it became to focus.

And then, suddenly, it came rushing back to him.

_The mission._

_His Team._

_The base._

_All of it._

He had found the stone, the target of the mission. But, just as he was going to complete what they had been sent there to do, he was...

Kaldur let out a hiss of pain as his head erupted in hot pain. Images flashed before him.

A white, empty void with a big looming door that had... _something_ scrawled on it. And a silhouette in front of it, its face seemingly non-existent, save for its wide, unnerving smile.

Kaldur clenched his eyes shut, as the pain significantly worsened. The door had opened and... inside... had been something unfathomable for someone like him.

Hundreds upon thousands of magical scripture had proceeded to pour into his addled mind. Everything from a basic water manipulation spell to something he could only have seen in passing in his King's most restricted files.

As more information was fed into him, his head suffered the brunt of it. Completely forgetting about the soldier in the room with him, Kaldur fell back onto the bed with a gasp. Writhing in agony, he only barely registered the feel of two hands on his arms, pushing him further back into the bed.

And then, bursting through the haze of pain, came a voice. 

_No._

Not just one. 

_Thousands._ All of them uttering the same thing at the same time.

_"It's a pity you can't pay your toll right now. Nevertheless, enjoy your stay. I'll be waiting Fish Boy."_

And with that Kaldur knew no more.

* * *

Maes let out a shaky breath. He gently let Kaldur'ahm's head hit the pillow before he stood up. Just minutes before, the kid had been fine and now he was unconscious. Again.

_'Not how I planned this to go.'_

Maes sighed heavily, before walking over to the left side of the bed. Whatever had caused Kaldur'ahm so much pain had also caused the boy to jerk quite violently. During of which, Maes heard sounds that strikingly resembled wood splintering.

Kneeling, Hughes frowned. There were tiny shards of wood littering the floor; and dangling above said floor was a handcuff. A newly freed handcuff.

Typically, one should seek backup at this point. But, seeing as how the only soldier he could trust with this is currently on a train, Maes is going to have to improvise.

He groaned, leaning back on his heels. Roy better be here in the 24 hours or he feared his sanity may just give out on him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~ I had already posted on ff.net prior to here, but this site has quickly become one of my go-tos for ficcies, so why not try my luck here too? Please let me know what you think and thank you for reading!


End file.
